Fruit marking machine



July l5, 1947.

E. A. VERRINDER FRUIT MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15. 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet l ATIToQ/vfy July 15, 1947.

E. A. VERRINDER MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec.

FRUIT l5, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 15, 1947- E. A. VERRINDER FRUIT MARKING MACHINE Filed Deo. 15, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 .INH

A TTOQNEY July l5 1947. E. A. VERRINDER FRUIT MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec.

15, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 A T ToQ/VEYv July 15, 1947. A VERRlNDR 2,424,006

FRUIT MARKING MACHINE I Filed Dec. 15, 1941 e sheets-sheet' 5 ILWILWIIIilIbIIIii" f 1 I 'I I f` @E f 0 9 Q Q 1 N 125m@ w 3Q N 15 11%@ f2@ N Y u l #W5/v70@ feNfsTAJ/EQQ//vofe A TTOQNE Y 4 Ff@ Z4 July 15, 1947. E. A. VERRINDER FRUIT MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented .ulgy 15,

FRUIT MARKING MACHINE Ernest A. Verrinder, Redlands, Calif., assigner to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application December 15, 1941, Serial N o. 422,970

9 Claims.

This invention relates to marking machines and has particular utility in trade-marking indi vidual fruit entities.

Included among the objects of the invention are the objects of providing such a machine which Will have a relatively large capacity; one which will handle an intermittent 110W of fruit without applying an excess quantity of ink to any of the fruit entities; one which handles the fruit relatively gently; one which is adapted to trademark ovaloid fruit entities and apply the mark uniformly substantially in the plane of minimum diameter; and one which will with one handling of ovaloid fruit so mark the same and return this fruit to any desired level.

The invention is especially useful in marking melons and it is a further object to provide such a machine by which melons may be uniformly marked. For illustrative purposes the invention will be disclosed herein, as embodied in a melon marking machine.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects, as well as further objects and advantages, will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational View of a preferred embodiment of the invention mainly broken away to illustrate the interior construction thereof.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View of the printing mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a printing unit of the printing mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the ink fountain mechanism tripped by a melon so as to cause the printing die to be inked just prior to applying said die to said melon.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-5 and including a side elevation of one of the aforesaid printing units.

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 'l-l of Fig. 6, showing a rear elevation of a printing unit with portions thereof broken away to illustrate its construction.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail sectional View taken on the line 9--9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line lil-I3 of Fig. 6 and illustrating the ink shearing shoe of the invention.

Fig.`,11 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View ilustratingthe eccentric printing rotor Vof the invention while printing a trade-mark on a melon.

Fig. 12 is a cross sectional view taken on the line I2-I2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a detail View taken on the line |3--I3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged vieW similar to that portion of Fig. 1 showing the printing mechanism of the invention and illustrating a unit of the latter in inactive positionA in which the printing die is not inked.

Fig. l5 is a View similar to Fig. 14 and illustrating the printing die while the fountain control paddle is released and returned to normal position after being engaged by one melon and in readiness to be engaged by the next on-coming melon.

Fig, 16 is a View similar to Fig. 15 and illustrates the rst melon moving away from the inking unit after having been vmarked thereby and the next melon engaging the fountain control paddle to cause the printing rotor die to be supplied with a fresh coating of ink just before this die comes into rolling contact with the second melon.

Referring specically to the drawings, the marking machine 20 shown therein includes a frame 2| which provides a housing for a conveyor 22 and also supports a printing mechanism 23 and a drive mechanism 24.

Frame 21 Supporting the rest of the frame and resting on the floor is a vertically telescopic base 26. This includes inner side channels 21 having vertical slots 29 provided therein and connected crosswise b-y channels B. At their lower ends the channels 2l have feet 3| which rest o-n the floor. Slideably embracingthe channels 21 are outer channels 32 having bolts 33 which extend through the slots 29 and unite the channels 21 and 32 at Whatever telescopic relation it may be -desired to nx these together.

Supported on top of the channels 32 are side frame members 38 and 39 which have inturned edge flanges 4i), the latter being connected by channel member 4I and angle iron members 42, 43, 44, 45. Adjustably connected by bolts 50 to the side members 38 a-nd 39 is a delivery board angle iron 5l which supports a discharge delivery board 52. At the opposite end of the machine the side members 33 and 39 support an intake delivery board 53.

The frame also includes short side standards 54 which are connected by channel irons 55 and 3 56, by a tube 51, and has angle iron ink reservoir supports 58.

The members 38 and 39 support bearings 65 in which is journalled an idle shaft 66 of a discharge conveyor belt 51 onto which rollable articles, such as melons 68, are adapted to roll from the discharge delivery board 52 (see Fig. 1).

The side frame members 38 and 39 also have suitable bearings in which are journalled shafts 15,1!,12 and 13.

Conveyor 22 This is an endless conveyor having endless chains 15 which are trained about sprockets 15, 11 and 18 mounted respectively on shafts 1U, 1| and 13. Pivotally mounted between the chains 15 are a series of pairs 8|) of rollers 8| and 82, the rollers 8| being cylindrical and the rollers 82 being round with a series of annular channels 85. A portion 85 of the upper flight of the conveyor 22 is upwardly inclined and guard rails 86, the opposite ends of which are secured to the angle iron 45 and the tube 51, divide the space just above this ight into a series of lanes 81. Rotatable objects, such as melons 58, which are fed to the conveyor 22, are conveyed in single le rows of articles along these lanes. To accomplish this the shaft 15 is rotated in the direction of the adjacent arrow in a manner to be pointed out hereinafter.

While this is being done the rollers 8| and 32 in the upwardly inclined portion of the conveyor are reversely rotated by a belt 88 which is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1 as being trained around a pulley 89 on the shaft 13 and a pulley 92 on the shaft 1|, this belt being driven by the latter. The belt 88 passes under the rollers 8| and 82 at one side of the machine (see Fig. 2) where pulleys 9| which are built into these rollers rest on this belt so that the adjacent ends of these rollers are supported by this belt. The belt B8 in turn is supported by a stationary section of roller chain 92 which is mounted by spacers 93 (see Fig. 2) on the side frame member 39.

The upwardly inclined portion 85 of the conveyor 22 lies between the sprockets 'l1 and 13. That portion 55 which lies between the sprockets 16 and 11 is downwardly inclined along a straight path so that when rollable articles are delivered from the conveyor 22 onto the discharge delivery board 52 they will pass on to the belt 51 at substantially the same level as when they are delivered onto conveyor 22 from the intake delivery board 53.

The rollers in each given pair 8e are spaced farther apart than the distance adjacent pairs are spaced apart. This results in each of therotatable articles 58 always coming to rest between the rollers cf one of these pairs and never between adjacent rollers of adjacent pairs.4 The rollable articles 58 are thereby properly spaced as they are fed up the several lanes 81 of the conveyor 22 to the printing mechanism 23. By virtue of the relation of the channels 85 of the rollers 82 and the cylindrical surface of the roller 8| of each of the pairs 25 ofconveyor rollers, and by virtue of the upward inclination of the section S of the conveyor, and by virtue of the reverse rotation of the rollers in this section bythe spinner belt 83, the rotatable articles 58, when these are ovaloid in character, are all, during their passage up one or the other of the lanes 81, brought into positions in which their major aXes are disposed transversely of the direction of their travel on the conveyorl It is to be noted that after the conveyor 22 has` thus conveyed the articles 68, these articles continue to be supported in properly aligned position as they are delivered to the printing mechanism 23 and while the printing mechanism is operating on these articles.

To aid in centralizing the rollable articles 68 in each of the lanes 81, as these articles approach the upper end of this lane, fabric or sheet rubber naps lili) are provided to converge inwardly from opposite sides of each of these lanes to leave only a narrow space im in the middle of each lane at the upper end thereof which is uncovered by these flaps. Wooden fillets |52 supported on the guide rails 35 support the flaps E55 along their lower edges, the i'lllets E22 conforming to the change in direction followed by the conveyor 22 where the upwardly inclined section joins the downwardly inclined section 95.

Printing mechanism 23 The side standards 55 are provided with suitable bearings |58 and |89 in which is journalled a printing mechanism drive shaft it. This shaft is also supported (see Fig. 3) by one or more bearings bolted to the channel beam 56. Mounted on the shaft HQ and the channel 55 is a series of printing units H4, two of these being shown in plan in Fig. 3. One of the units I4 is provided for each lane 81 and is so positioned as to print a mark on each of the rotatable articles 58 traveling therebeneath in that lane.

Each unit |lll (see Figs. 4, 5, 8 and 9) includes a chain housing arm l5, this arm having a bearing ||5 at its upper end which rotatably receives the shaft ll. This arm also has a stud shaft bearing ||1 at its lower end, a spring mounting boss IHS, a paddle pin boss H9, a form roller mounting boss |25 and a ratchet spring arm |2|. The boss H8 has a screw |25, the boss |20 has a set screw |26 and the boss ||9 (see Fig. 7) has a set screw |21.

Each unit HI also includes a fountain roller |28 which is mounted on the shaft l| Ii! and Xed thereto by a set screw |29. Formed integral with .the fountain roller is a cam |32 having a high sector ISI and a low sector |32. Disposed between the roller |28 and thebearing H5 of the chain housingl arm ||5 is a chain sprocket |34 which is keyed to the shaftY lli). The sprocket |34 and the bearing l5 are held in closely spaced relation with the roller |28 by a collar |35 rlxed on the shaft l0.

Extending through the bearing ||1 is the threaded shank |36 of a stud shaft |31, a, nut |38 on this shank rigidly securing the shaft |31 to the bearing with a shoulder |39 of the shaft pressed against said bearing. Rotatably mounted on the stud shaft |31 is a sector-like printing rotor |65 having a sprocket |56 formed thereon. Also rotatably received by the shaft |31 is a sleeve |41, this sleeve and the rotor |45 being held in closely spaced relation with the bearing |1 by a washer |48 and cotter pin |29. Housed within the chain housing arm ||5 and trained about sprockets |34 and |46 is a roller chain |50. The shank |35 of the stud shaft |31 is slightly eccentric relative to this shaft, so that by rotation of this'shaft the tightness of the chain |50 may be adjusted, any particular adjusted degree of tightness in this chain being maintained by tightening up on the nut |38 so as to retain the shaft |31 in a given rotational position.

The printing rotor '|45 has a sector-like body |55, preferably :made of metal or any rigid material and including a hub |55 and a rim |51.

'The rim |51 has a pair of recesses |58 near its opposite edges in which are received endless rubber tires |60. Formed in the rim |51 between the tire recesses is a bayonet slot |6| having ledges |62 along its upper edges. The portion of the rim |51 in which the bayonet slot |6| is formed is preferably concentric with the hub |56, and constitutes the portion of the rim 51 having the greatest radius. The rim |51 also has radial holes |63. Formed in the hub |56 on the bottom of the bayonet slot |6| (see Figs. 11, 1 2 and 13) are a number of spring receiving bores |64. Held downwardly in the bayonet slot |6| by pins |65, which are secured in place in the holes |63 by cotters |66, is a leaf spring |61, this leaf spring being normally held outwardly against the heads of the pins |65 by light coiled compression springs |10 disposed in the bores |64. Shoulders |1| formed on the pins |65 extend through holes in the opposite ends of the leaf spring |61 and space the heads of these pins from the bottom of the bayonet slot I6 The spring |61 has rigidly xed thereon end posts |12.

A rubber printing stamp is shaped so as to lie within the upper portion of the bayonet slot |6| and extend under the ledges |62 thereof when squeezed down into this slot by depressing the leaf spring |61, and then allowed to expand and return under the propulsion of this leaf spring and the coiled springs |10 against the ledges |62. The outer face of the stamp |15 is provided with type characters |18 which extend outwardly just beyond the periphery of the tires |60. Thus the type characters |18 extend beyond the tires |60 enough so that they can be coated with ink without inking the tires, and yet when the rotor comes into rolling contact with one of the articles 68 (as shown in Fig. 12) the printing stamp |15 and the spring |61 yield inwardly so that the type characters |18 are pressed against the articles |08 with a relatively light pressure, the main pressure of the Ycontact between the rotor and the article being taken up by the tires |60. This is of great importance in increasing the useful life of the rubber stamp |15.

The posts |12 save the endmost printing characters |13 from excessive wear, these posts performing this function by engaging the article 68 and depressing the spring |61 beneath the endmost portions of the stamp |15, thus preventing an excessive erosion of the endmost characters as would otherwise occur due to the fact that they are the first and the last, respectively, of the characters to be in contact with the article 68 and thus tend to have slightly greater frictional contact with the articles than the characters in the middle of the stamp which are somewhat supported by the characters on opposite sides thereof.

Another advantage of the mounting of the rubber printing stamp 15 is the ease with which this can be replaced. When this becomes necessary one end of the spring |61 may be depressed by pressing down on the adjacent post |12 which leaves the corresponding end of the stamp |15 free to be pulled upwardly from the bayonet slot |6|, after which the entire stamp can readily be stripped from this slot and another stamp inserted by pressing it downwardly in the slot until it depresses the leaf spring |61 and allows the stamp to expand to its normal shape so as to extend beneath the ledges |62 (as shown in Fig..

13) and thereafter releasing the stamp to permit the printing rotor |45 on a bracket |19 is a form roller |80. The bracket 19 has two bearing sleeves |8| and |82 which are connected by an arm |83. Extending rotatably through a bushing |84 provided in the sleeve |8| is a stub shaft |85 having an eccentric shank |86, the latter iitting into a bore |81 formed in the boss |20. The stub shaft |85 has a hexagonal head |88 by which the shaft |85 may be turned for adjustment purposes, as will be made clear hereinafter. This shaft may be retained in any adjustedposition by tightening the set screw |26 onto sthe eccentric shank |86.

The sleeve |82 has a bore |92 at one end thereof and a counter bore |93 extending through the balance of the sleeve. Formed in the sleeve |82 is a pair of directly opposite holes |94 through which a bolt |95 extends, this bolt being threadedly received by a threaded aperture in a form roller axle |96 which fairly closely ts the bore |92 but is loosely received by the counter bore |93. Thus by an adjustment of the bolt |95 and lock nuts |91 provided thereon, an adjustment in the angular position of the axle |96 in the sleeve |82 may be effected. The form roller |80 is freely rotatable on the axle |96. This roller has a central bearing bushing |99, and on its periphery a at rubber tire 200. This tire is of such diameter as to be tangent at all times with the periphery of the fountain roller |28.

Fixed on the outer end of the axle |96 by a set screw 29| is a cam roller arm 202, the end of which is provided with a freely rotatable cam roller 203. The roller 203 (as shown in Fig. 8) is positioned in the plane of the cam |30 and sufliciently close to 'this cam so that rotation of the latter engages this roller and rocks upwardly the bracket |19 and the form roller |80 carried thereby.

The bracket |19 alsoincludes a forwardly extending lug 204 and a downwardly extending leg 265, the latter having a foot 206 at its lower end. Provided in the leg 285 is a set screw 201 which is lock-nutted to permit fixing it in a given po sition. The lug 204 is also provided with a set screw 208 similarly lock-nutted. Connected by one of its ends to the lug 264 and by its other end to the screw 2 5 is a contractile spring 209.

Extending through the boss H9 and xed therein by set screw |21 is a paddle shaft 2|2. The two prongs of a bifurcated upper end of an article responsive paddle 2|3 extend close to opposite sides of the boss ||9 and are pivotally received by the shaft 2|2. The paddle 2|3 has an arm2l4. An extending end of shaft 2|2 carries a coiled spring 2 5, one end of which is imbedded in the shaft and the other end of which engages the arm 2|4 in order to urge the paddle 2|3 to rotate so as to swing the arm 2|4 downwardly. The end of the arm 2 |4, when thus swung downwardly, engages the foot 206 of the leg 205 (as shown in Figs. 13 and 15), so that when this arm is thus disposed downwardly and the cam roller 203 rides off the high sector 3| of the cam 30 and opposite the low sector |32 of this cam, the set screw 201 will contact the end of the arm 2| 4 and thus any further lowering of the form roller |80 will be prevented.

The sleeve |41 of each unit ||4 has a rod 2|6 (see Figs. 6 and 15) rigidly secured thereto, this rod extending obliquely upwardly through a suitable hole provided in the channel 55. The upper end of this rod is provided with lock nuts 2|1, a bronze sleeve 2| 8 and a rubber sleeve 2|9, said sleeves surrounding this rod atV points respec-l angliae 'tively just above and just below the place where this rod `passes through the beam 55. Surrounding each rod 2|6 is an expansive coiled spring 228, the opposite ends of which bear against the sleeve v|41 and the bronze sleeve 2|8 and by its expansive force presses the printing rotor |45 against an article being marked, and after the marking is over returns the printing unit to its lowermost position in which the lock nuts 2|1 rest against the rubber sleeve 2li) (as shown in Fig. V16) Each printing unit 'H4 also includes 1an ink pumping device 22| having an ink reservoir n222 resting on one of the supports 58 and an ink pump 223 which is mountedon `a strap 224 fixed on the channel 55. The pump 223 may be -of any suitable type but is preferably of the general type show-n in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,123,781. This pump is adapted to be operated by the rotation of a ratchet wheel 238 to suck liquid ink fro-m the reservoir 222 through a tube 23E and discharge this ink from a nozzle 232 onto the fountain roller |28. Provided on the strap 224 is a spring latch 238 which engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 288 to prevent its reverse rotation. rConnected by a bolt 285 to the arm |2| of the chain housing arm H is a dog supporting leaf spring 236 on which is mounted a ratchet dog 231.

Rotatably mounted in suitable bearings provided on the channel beam 56 is an ink feeding control shaft 248, on one end of which is provided an arm 24| by which a rotational adjustment may be imparted to this shaft (see Figs. l and 3) For each of the units ||4 the shaft 248 has an arm 242, on the end of which is rotatably .provided a block 243 which threadedly receives a rod 244. The lower end of this ro'd extends down-V ward through a suitable hole in the upper horizontal web of the beam k58 to within a short distance of the dog supporting spring 285 of this unit.

In each printing operation, such as is illustrated in Fig. 15, the chain housing arm ||5 and parts assembled thereon are swung upwardly `around the shaft lli] by contact of the printing rotor |45 with the rollable article 58 being marked. This rotation swings the spring 235 rearwardly moving the dog 231 away from the teeth on the ratchet wheel 238. As the rollable article 58 passes out of contact with the printing rotor |85, the spring 228 returns the arm H5 downwardly thus bringing the vdog 231 into contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 238 and rotating this one or more teeth. The position of Y the lower end of the rod 244 of each of the units H4 relative to the spring 235 thereof determines how many teeth the ratchet wheel 238 is turned by each printing operation of that unit. Each of the rods 244 is lock-nutted but adapted for individual adjustment to produce uniform operation of the ink feeding devices 22| of all the printing units, and the shaft 240 is susceptible to rotation through the handle 24| to uniformly change the amount of ink fed by the pumps 223 of all the units I i4 in case such adjustment becomes necessary.

The ink delivered from the pump 223 of each unit l |4 to the fountain roller |28 of that unit is dropped onto a central zone on the periphery of that roller. It is desirable to remove all the ink from this roller except a thin band of ink which is just wide enough to ink the printing characters |18 of the rubber stamp |15 but not wide enough to spread ink onto the tires |68. For this `purpose an ink shearing shoe 245 is positioned on the 8 lower horizontal web of the: Channel' beam se act jacent eachroller |28 so as to be constantly vpressed by a .spring 248 against this roller. This `shoe is best shown in Figs. 6 and 10 in which it is seen that it has an arcuate shearing face 258 which-snugly fits the outer periphery of the fountain ,roller |278,y there being an ink well 25| vformed in the 4face l258 with oblique shearing edges 252 and a transverse bottom edge 253. It appears that the oblique shearing edges -252 have the effect of shearing the ink from the marginal portions of the fountain 'roller I28contacted thereby, but that the transverse bottom edge 253 of the ink wel-| per-mits a certain portion of the ink on the surface of the fountain roller opposite this edge to be retained on 'the fountain roller and to be A.carried-across that portion of the face 258 of the shearing shoe 245 which lies below the well edge 253. This narrow band of ink retained on the fountain roller is transferred to the nat tire 208 0f the forml roller |88 so that this form roller is adequately supplied .with ink in the proper position to transfer this to the printing stamp |15 when the form roller and the type faces of this stamp are brought into contact.

Drive 'mechanism 24 The marking machine 28 is driven by a motor 258 through a belt 258 which turns a pul1ey258 fixed on the shaft 12. This shaft has a sprocket 26| and the shafts 18, 1| and ||8 have idle sprockets 282 and. lfixed sprockets 283 and 254 respectively, about which an endless chain 255 is trained. The shaftV 18 also has a xed sprocket 265 which is connected by a drive chain 281 to a pinion sprocket 258 Xed on' shaft 1|. Thus the motor 258 rotates the shaft 18 to drive the conveyor v272, the shaft 1| to drive the spinner belt 88 and rotate the rollers 8| and 82 reversely, and at the same time rotates the shaft H8 so as to constantly turn the fountain rollers |28, the form rollers |88 and the printing rotors |45 of all of the printing units |4.

Operation With the motor 258 energized and thus running the various mechanisms of the machine 28, and with Athe ink reservoirs 222 supplied with ink, the machine is ready to have rotatable obejcts 88, which arev shown as melons and which this machine is especially adapted to handle, being fed into the machine over the intake delivery board 53.

As previously explained, the upward slope of the'k inclined portion 85 of the conveyor 22 and the reverse rotation of rolls 8| and 82 prevents double-decking of the melons on this conveyor and causes these melons to seek positions of rest in `*which only one melon rides in the valley formed in each lane 81 between the rolls 8| and 82 of'each of the lpairs 88 of these rollers (as clearly shown in Fig. l). The reverse spinning of the rollers in the inclined conveyor portion 85, together with they channels 84 in rollers 82, align the melons so that their major `axes are disposed transversely of their direction of travel. While resting on the rollers 8| and 82, by which they were thus aligned, and without their alignment being disturbed, the melons are individually carried beneath the marking units H4, and the melons in each lane 81 marked by the unit H4 thereabove.

Before describing how these melons are Vso marked it is to be noted that each printing unit I4 includes means for preventing the type vcharacters |18 of its stamp |15 from being inked excepting just before a melon E8 is delivered to this unit to be stamped. This means also provides for freshly inking the type characters |18 aforesaid in response to the delivery of a melon to this unit, so that each time these type characters are brought into contact with a melon they have just been freshly inked.

The prevention of the in king of the type charn acters |18 when no melons are being -fed to a printing unit ||4 is accomplished by the normal presence of the arm 2|5 of this unit opposite the set screw 201 thereof (see Fig, As here shown, there is a slight space between the end of the arm 2|5 and screw 201 which is caused by contact of the cam roller 203 with the high sector |3| of the cam |30. When the cam |30 rotates so that the low sector |32 thereof is opposite the roller 203, the form roller supporting bracket |19 rocks downwardly about its shaft |85. If no melon is being carried by the conveyor 22 to be stamped by this printing unit during the current revolution of the rotor |45, the paddle 2|3 will remain in its normal position (see Fig. 15), in which the paddle arm 2| 5 is disposed opposite the set Screw 201. The downward rocking of the form roller bracket |19 just mentioned will in this case be halted by contact of the screw 201 with the arm 2|5 (see Fig. 13). As clearly shown in this figure, the downward movement of the form roller |80 is halted so that this remains out of contact with the type characters |18 on the rotor |45 during the current revolution of this rotor.

It is to be noted in Fig. 13 that when the form roller |80 is held out of Contact with the type characters |18, by the setl screw 201 engaging the paddle arm 2|5, the cam roller 203 is held a considerable distance away from the lower cam sector |32 of the cam |30. Whenever the arm 2| 5 is swung out of the path of the set screw 201 (see Fig. 16) and the form roller bracket |19 thus freed to swing downwardly to allow the cam roller 203 to ride on the low cam sector |32, the form roller |80 is lowered so that when the type characters |18 are rotated opposite the roller |80 by the current revolution of the printing rotor |45, these type characters have rolling contact with the central inked zone on the periphery of the form roller |80 so as to freshly ink these type characters.

Figs. 15 and 16 clearly illustrate how the control ofthe inking of the type characters |18, above described, is effected by the melon themselves so that these type characters are inked just before their application to each melon fed to that unit 4, yet the inking of these characters is avoided during every revolution of the rotor |45 during which no melon is fed to this unit.

The conveyor 22 operates in timed relation with the printing mechanism 23 (see Figs. 15 and 16) so that a melon ridingrin a given lane 81 on any of the pairs 80 of conveyor rollers, as this pair comes under the corresponding unit il, will contact the paddle 2|3 of that unit just before the cam roller 203 thereof rides off the high cam sector |3I, so that when this cam roller does ride off this sector the forrnroller |30 of this unit will swing down into position to freshly ink the type characters |18 during the current revolution of the rotor |45. After actuating the paddle 2|3, this melon comes into contact with the rotor |45 just as the melon B is shown doing in Fig. 16. The rollers 8| and 82 are not preferably power rotated where these rollers pass under the unbalanced shape of the rotor |45.

the printing units ||4, but are adapted to be freely rotated by the melons as these are marked.

Each rotor` |45 is of course itself continuously power rotated at such a speed as to make rolling contact with each melon conveyed therebeneath by the conveyor 22. This rolling contact of each rotor with each melon being marked by it results in sumcient pressure between the melon and the rotor to lift the rotor and the housing arm ||5 of this unit upwardly (see Fig. 15) as the melon passes therebeneath.

The stamp |15 and the resilient mounting of this is a very signicant feature of the invention. Where these stamps were less resiliently mounted the machine was unable to stamp more than two or three cars of melons before the stamps were worn out. Operating with the stamps as shown, as much as 40 carloads of melons have been stamped by the machine 20 in actual practice with one Aset of stamps |15, the reason for this being as follows: In the rotor |45 the stamp |15 is allowed to yield under the pressure of its Contact with a melon 68 so that the tires |60 come into engagement with the melon and assume most of the pressure exerted by the melon against the rotor which compresses the spring 220 and swings the chain housing arm I5, and associated parts, upwardly.

Another significant feature of the invention is In one sense, this may be dened'as eccentric as the axis of rotation of the rotor is unequally spaced from different portions of the periphery of the latter. In fact, in the preferable form thereof disclosed herein, the rotor is substantially oval or elliptical in shape and the axis of rotation is located close to one end of the minor axis of the ellipse. The periphery of the rotor adjacent the axis is preferably flattened and the periphery on the opposite side of the rotor from the axis of rotation thereof is preferably made concentric with the axis of rotation so as to provide a base for the printing type on the rotor which may be inked easily by a rolling action of the type against the form roller |80. Thus, while the rotor |45 may be termed eccentric because the axis of rotation thereof is spaced some distance from its center of mass, it may also be termed sector-like in that the printing face thereof is preferably concentric with the axis and the entire rotor malT be considered as a sector of a printing drum with the corners of the sector rounded so as to facilitate a smooth rolling relation between the rotor and the melon engaged thereby even when a nonconcentric portion of the periphery of the rotor is in engagement with the melon, as shown in Fig. 16.

The eccentric or sector-like character of the rotor |45 produces many advantages. It is to be noted that this rotor is placed directly over the melon conveyor with its axis of rotation close to the path of melons on the conveyor, so as to be yieldable upwardly upon its being contacted by a melon. Also the rotor is rotated positively in timed relation with the conveyor so that the rotor rotates once each time a melon supporting valley passes therebeneath. The rotor is so timed that the minimum-radius face of the rotor is disposed downwardly each time a space between melons on the conveyor is passing directly beneath the rotor, and so that the printing or maximum-radius face of the rotor is disposed downwardly each time one of the melon supporting valleys is directly beneath the rotor.

These novel characteristics of the rotor |45 produce the following advantages:

(1) The peculiar shape of the rotor |45 is what permits its axis of rotation to be placed much lower than would be possible if it were a cylindrical and concentric printing drum with a uniform radius equal to the radius of the printing face thereof. On the other hand, the relatively low location of the axis of rotation of the rotor |45 permits a printing face on the rotor of relatively short radius to reach and print a stamp on a melon of the minimum diameter which the machine must operate upon. In other Words, flattening one side of the rotor |45 to render thelatter, in a sense, eccentric, makes it possible for the printing operation on a wide variety of sizes of melons to be performed with a printing face of smaller radius than would otherwise be necessary.

(2) The consequent decrease in the net size of the rotor |45 permits this smaller rotor to operate on melons Varying widely in diameter with the melons in single file alignment and with a relatively short distance separating adjacent melons.

(3) Because the rotor |45 has such a relatively short periphery, it can be given one complete rotation while each melon passes therebeneath without the frictional contact between the rotor and the melon causing too rapid a rotation of the melon on its supporting conveyor rolls. Yet a large portion of the periphery of the rotor which contacts a given melon is uniformly disposed the maximum radius from the axis of the rotor and thus available for carrying printing type. Itis thereby possible with the small rotor |45 to apply a relatively long mark to each melon. l

(4) The use of a low axis 0f rotation for the printing rotor, as employed in my invention,V

would not be practical if the rotor periphery were of uniform radius. This is because with such a rotor, the initial contact between the rotor and a large size melon would be in a planev disposed perpendicularly to the plane common to the axes of the rot-or and the melon, and the latter plane in such a case would be so high as to cause the rotor to push the melon backwardly out of the valley in which it rests. This of course would disorganize the whole operation of printing melonsfin such a machine and result in melons passing through the machine badly marked or notv marked at all.

By virtue of its eccentric or sector-like shape, the rotor` |45 initially contacts a large melon as shown in Fig. 16 in a plane disposed obliquely and at a positive angle with reference to the plane common to the axes of the rotor and the melons. Two things result from this.

First, the area of contact is disposed above the plane common to the axes of the rotor and melon, and a line drawn from the center of this initial contact area through the axis of the melon passes very close to, if not in front of the axis of the hindmost roller of the pair forming the valley supporting this melon. Thus, the force applied by the rotor to the melon tends to hold the melon in this valley rather than shift it rearwardly out of this valley,

A second result is that the positive angle of the plane of Contact between the rotor and the melon in the initial engagement between the two, gives the rotor a good frictional bite on the surface of the melon and assures a snug rolling contact between the rotor and the melon as the rotor rides upwardly on the melon. A good impression of the type of the rotor on the melon is rendered certain by its being applied during such a positive well controlled rolling relationn ship between the type carrying rotor face and thefmelon.

Another advantage of the marking machine 2|) is that the melons are separated, spaced and aligned on the conveyor and then they are'marked while still resting on the same rollers that brought them into proper alignment for marking. In devices of the prior art the articles to be marked have been transferred from the aligning device to a printing device and the alignment of the articles was oftentimes disturbed by this transfer. Such a disturbance is not possible in the machine of my invention.

It is also an advantage to be able to separate and align ovaloid objects such as melons which require that these be elevated a distance from the point at which they are received in the machine and still be able, without a second handling of the fruit, to discharge it from the machine at substantially the same level at which it was received. This is made possible by returning the fruit downwardly from the upper end of the inclined section of the conveyor by providing the downwardly inclined section immediately followmg.

Simple means are provided in the machine 20 for securing the desired adjustments necessary in the printing units ||4,these being illustrated in detail in Figs. 6 and 8. Rotational adjustment of the shaft is for the purpose of maintaining the form roller ISG in constant contact with the fountain roller |28. The angular adjustment of the shaft is to make certain that `a line contact be maintained Vbetween the form roller |80 and the fountain roller |28.

The lock nutted set screw 268 in the lug 20d is to determine the downwardmost position which the form roller bracket |19 takes when it is freed from the restriction of the arm 2| 5 and cam |30and swings down to ink the type characters |18 on the rotor |45. By the adjustment of this screw, just that light contact between the form roller and the type characters is eifected which is necessary to give a thin coating of ink to the type characters.

I claim:

1. In a printing machine the combination of: a travelling conveyor having valleys in which articles are adapted to be conveyed; a sector-like printing rotor carrying type and rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis to extend downwardly into the path of articles carried on said conveyor and being adapted to engage one of said articles with a non-concentric portion of said rotor and to yield upwardly in response to said engagement and in rolling contact withsaid article; and means for rotating said rotor continuously in timed relation with the movement of said conveyor so as to print said type on an article in each valley passing therebeneath and to make one revolution -with each such printing.

2. In a printing machine the combination of a travelling conveyor having valleys in which articles are adapted to be conveyed; a sector-like rotor carrying type on the periphery thereof and rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis closely adjacent to the upper limits of the path traversed by said articles on said conveyor, said rotor having concentric and non-concentric portions and yieldable upwardly in response to initial contact of a non-concentric portion of said rotor with one of said articles; and means for rotating said rotor in timed relation with the passage of said 13 valleys therebeneath so that said type is brought into printing contact with the surface of each article travelling therebeneath in one of said valleys.

3. In a machine for printing on rollable articles the combination of: a conveyor having a series of closely-spaced Valleys in which articles are adapted to be rollably supported; a sector-like rotor carrying type on the periphery thereof and rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis to extend downwardly into the path of articles carried on said conveyor and being adapted to engage one of said articles with a non-concentric portion of said rotor and to yield upwardly in response to said engagement and in rolling contact with said article; means for rotating said rotor synchronously with the travel of said valleys therebeneath so that with the passage of each such valley beneath said rotor said type on said rotor is ap- .plied to an article in said valley, if said valley contains an article, the rate of rotation of said rotor being such that said article is compelled to rotate during the application of said type thereto in order that rolling contact be maintained between said article and said rotor.

4. In a machine for printing on rollable articles the combination of: an endless conveyor having a series of rotatable rollers which are grouped together in pairs to provide an endless series of article-supporting valleys with two rollers in between each adjacent pair of valleys, articles being adapted to be rollably supported in said valleys; a sector-like printing rotor carrying type on the periphery thereof and rotatably mounted onl a horizontal axis disposed closely adjacent to the upper limits of the path traversed by said articles on said conveyor, said rotor having concentric and non-concentric portions and yieldable upwardly in response to initial contact of said non-concentric portion of said rotor with one of said articles; and means for rotating said rotor continuously so that it rotates once for the passage of each valley therebeneath and so that said type is brought into printing contact with the surface of each article travelling therebeneath in one of said valleys.

5. In a printing machine the combination of: an oval shaped printing rotor having concentric and non-concentric portions; means for rotatably mounting said rotor on an eccentric axis, said means being adapted to yield upwardly in response to pressure from beneath against said rotor; means for rotating said rotor about said axis; type provided on the periphery of said rotor; and means for conveying rollable articles in a path which brings said articles into initial contact with said non-concentric portion of said rotor from beneath and in timed relation with the rotation of said rotor so that said type is applied to each of said articles, said axis being disposed close to the upper limits of said path.

6. A combination as in claim in which the axis of said rotor is disposed on the opposite side of the center thereof from said type.

7. A combination as in claim 5 in which said 14 conveying means rotatably supports the articles fed into contact with the rotor so as to permit said articles to rotate in response to the rotation of said rotor.

8. In a printing machine the combination of: means for feeding rollable articles varying in diameter along a given path; a printing rotor; means for rotatably mounting said rotor on an eccentric axis adjacent said path, said means being adapted to yield away from said path in response to pressure by one of said articles thereagainst; means for rotating said rotor about said axis in timely relation with the conveying of articles past said rotor; type provided on the periphery of said rotor on a portion thereof disposed on the opposite side of the center of the rotor from said axis; and tread means on the periphery of said rotor for engaging an article contacting said rotor whereby said rotor is held in rolling contact with said article while said type is applied thereto.

9. A combination as in claim 8 in which said tread means extends entirely around said rotor so as to cause the latter to climb up onto the larger of said articles thereby maintaining said rotor in rolling contact with said larger article and preventing said article being .pushed backwardly by contact with said rotor.

ERNEST A. VERRDWDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,369,570 Stiles Feb. 22, 1921 1,422,017 Wood July 4, 1922 1,549,595 Merrill Aug. 11, 1925 2,040,526 Mumma May 12, 1936 1,656,494 Nutt et al. Jan. 17, 1928 884,031 Mountford Apr. 7, 1908 1,012,156 Ranz Dec. 19, 1911 2,152,204 Moore Mar. 28, 1939 1,386,812 Thompson Aug. 9, 1921 1,364,815 Santee Jan. 4, 1921 1,248,856 Henry Dec. 4, 1917 1,421,292 Neuenschivander June 27, 1922 1,569,208 Sevigne Jan. 12, 1926 1,104,367 Matthews July 21, 1914 2,134,041 Hamm Oct, 25, 1938 913,018 Lawrence Feb. 23, 1909 2,272,677 Meneray et al. Feb. 10, 1942 1,283,949 Stevenson Nov. 5, 1918 2,240,443 Paul Apr. 29, 1941 1,606,190 Sharp Nov. 9, 1926 1,992,347 Bartlett Feb. 26, 1935 1,506,661 Pannier Aug. 26, 1924 1,284,031 Ahlburg Nov. 5, 1918 2,079,300 Nunnikhoven May 4, 1937 423,394 Saxton Mar. 11, 1890 1,527,921 Rodriguez Feb. 24, 1925 1,475,687 Cobb Nov. 27, 1923 

